Title: Blood Love

Chapter 7: Recovery

Genre: Romance/Horror/Fantasy


"Simon!" The voice of Raphael singes Simon's eardrums. Footsteps echo down the corridor, continuously increasing in decibels till they stop in front of the door.

"By the Angels, Simon!" Clary's voice tails. His rescuers surge forward towards him, anxiously examining his wound.

"His blood has been drained," Raphael says, "It was for the Ritual."

"Can you give him some blood?" Clary shakily pleads.

"That would be of no use," Raphael sighs, "He has been touched by Heaven, and only by Heaven's blood can he be healed."

"Take my blood," Jace's voice states.

"Jace, no. He can take mi-" Clary begins arguing.

"You need to find Maia; Valentine is going to take her blood too," Jace interrupts, "Go!" Clary reluctantly shuffles out of the door, and dashes down the corridor.

"So, what do I have to do?" Jace questions. The unsheathing of fangs pursues, and an unpleasant "Ouch!" follows.

"In his mouth, now."

Blood rains into Simon's throat. The blood tastes extraordinarily celestial and luscious. As vitality returns to his body, the wicked gash on his neck vanishes without a trace. His eyes flutter open, and before him is a dishevelled Jace clenching his fist, and a relieved Raphael.

"Thanks, for your blood. Yummy," Simon sits up, and glances at Dracula. "Can we have that discussion now?" Raphael lends forward, preparing the perfect retaliation.

"All that can wait," Jace intervenes, "Right now, we got to go. And by the way, you got a Band-Aid?"

Ambling down ceaseless corridors, their growing impatience begin to seize control of their judgement.

"If I see another corridor after this corner…" Simon admonishes, "I swear I'll kil- AH!"

"Woah, Simon!" Clary and Maia emerge from the corner, rushing forward to embrace him.

"Oh thank god, I thought you were dead!" Maia sobs.

"Nah, not that easy," Simon assures, squeezing Maia and Clary into his ribs.

"Stop them!" The tympanic rhythm of Valentine's men stomping against the floorboard approaches.

"Move, move, now!" Raphael turns, pulling Simon along him. The party promptly turns in the opposite direction, making mad dashes down each corridor of every turn.

As they approach a wall, embellished with sophisticated angelic murals. A dead end. The thudding behind them reverberates through the corridors. Raphael steps in front of Simon defensively, unleashing his glinting fangs. Maia's body shivers, her olive skin steadily metamorphosing in a wolf's. Jace instinctively lifts his trusty seraph blade, preparing for a bloodbath.

Clary, instead, pulls out her stele from her pocket and begins carving an enlarged rune into the wall. The moment she finalises her masterpiece, the rune glows blindingly. Two vertical fissures emerge from the rune, dividing the wall and everything beyond. The chilly nocturnal air rushes into the ship, and the ship groans as it begins to crumble.

They hear a storey abruptly collapsing beneath them, forcefully thrusting them in the freezing estuary waters. The water begins numbing Simon's limbs, and he profusely shivers to keep warm, something he didn't know he still requires. Treading water to keep his head above surface, he almost believes his unanticipated luck, before Clary snatches it away.

"The Sun, it's rising!" Clary shouts. He stares at edge of the world, seeing a soft glowing light in the sky, mirroring the Sun's rays under the horizon. Twilight. A brief calculation tells him that he has approximately ten minutes before the Sun's radiance obliterates him and Raphael. He swings his head around, and sees Raphael peering at the skyline, before his eyes meet with the latter's.

"Ten minutes," Both warn at the same time. The two vampires promptly paddle strenuously towards store, with the others following behind them. With the sky's illumination accelerating by the second, Simon feels his anxiety growing along with it, and he undoubtedly senses Raphael's panic building up simultaneously. After what seems like an eternity, the current finally assists them by propeling them to the bottom of the pier.

"It's too high, we will never make it in time," Simon realises. Beside him, Raphael unnecessarily insufflates, perilously eyeing the deadly horizon. Behind them, Jace pushes forward through the icy water to grab a pole. Taking out his stele, he engraves a rune on his left forearm.

The rune brilliantly glows, and a purse shudders through Jace's body.

"Get ready," Jace says, before tossing Raphael out of the water and up to shore.

"Wow! What rune was that?" Simon exclaims in amazement.

"Strength, now your turn," Simon braces himself, and immediately he is lifted into the air and docks on land. The tip of the Sun gradually materialises at the horizon, its lethal rays bringing life to the city. His eyes desperately scan the area for the nearest shelter, realising that there is no possible way.

Simon turns his back on the Sun, kneeling in front of Raphael.

"You owe me a discussion," He smirks, heaving his millionth sigh of the day. Raphael looks at his brown eyes, and laughs without fear of the future.

"Bring it on, chico," Raphael cheekily challenges.

"Would you like to go on a date, someday?" Simon nervously asks. An intense eye contact follows briefly, ending promptly as Raphael leans forward, pressing his lips against Simon's.

"Chico, me encantaría, I'd love to." Simon wraps his arms around Raphael and screws his eyes shut, awaiting their inevitable deaths.